Even the Bears players called it ugly, messy and hard to watch — and they were referring to both the weather on Sunday, and their play on the field.

A nearly two-hour delay as a pair of nasty storm cells moved through was not the only thing that slowed down the Bears on Sunday. The Bears slowed themselves down as well.

Yet, they won.

Missed assignments; red-zone woes; busted plays; a defense that was gashed by a ground game that hasn't been able to run the ball all season; and 12 penalties that cost them 106 yards. It wasn't pretty by any means. The play on the field was almost as brutal as the weather surrounding it.

Still, they pulled out a win.

Ominous thunderhead clouds consistently swallowed up Soldier Field, sending the entire stadium full of fans clamoring for cover late in the first quarter after Baltimore had taken a 10-0 lead. But the Bears regrouped, and even when things weren't going their way, they found a way.

Defensive lineman Corey Wootton agreed wholeheartedly: "This was nowhere near how we wanted to do it."

But to a man, as they stood by their lockers and spoke to reporters after the game, everyone one of the Bears players had a look of relief (and, almost all of them, a smile) on their face. It was clear they all knew exactly what Sunday's 23-20 overtime win over Baltimore meant.

"It means we're right back in it," wide receiver Brandon Marshall said. "It's always going to come down to the last few weeks, the last few plays, the last few seconds. So, we know that.

"We're going to have a say in it, that's for sure."

Marshall was talking about the battle for a postseason berth, and after Sunday's victory, coupled with losses by the Lions (37-27 to the Steelers) and Packers (27-13 to the Giants), the Bears have new life. Both the Bears and Lions sit at 6-4, and Green Bay is at 5-5, trying to stay patient while it awaits QB Aaron Rodgers' return.

"That thing is oblong, and it bounces funny. ... You just never know from week to week in this league," said quarterback Josh McCown, one of the most popular dudes around after raising his record to 3-0 as the Bears' starter this year. "You have opportunities in life — rare opportunities to do some special things. We were sitting in front of one of those today. It was a chance to be special."

And they all made the most of it. McCown hit Alshon Jeffery for 14 yards and Martellus Bennett for 23 on the game-winning overtime drive, and he finished with 216 yards and a touchdown through the air. But, more importantly, he had no interceptions or turnovers of any kind. Again.

Page 2 of 3 - And now, as the Bears get set to scroll through the NFL's pool of mediocre teams down the stretch — the Rams, Vikings, Cowboys, Browns and Eagles are all beatable, then they finish with the Packers — things have gone from bleak to excitable.

"I just let those guys work," McCown said of the Bears offense that clicked late, "and it's getting fun."

When Chicago's defense stiffened up on Baltimore in the second half Sunday — giving up just 111 yards and three points in two-plus quarters — and McCown got in a groove, the table was set for a change. Robbie Gould booted a 38-yard field goal to end it 6:19 into overtime, and the Bears were back in the hunt.

It was a weird game on Sunday, and it's been a weird year in the NFL. The AFC is packed with Peyton Manning-led record-setters and the surprising Chiefs, and there are five AFC teams with seven or more wins. Still, they all have their weaknesses.

And the NFC, which has just two teams with more than six wins, has turned into a mash pit of mediocrity. After Sunday, the Bears thrust themselves right into the middle of it.

Josh McCown (19-for-31 for 216 yards with a TD and no picks) made the most of what he has in the worst conditions of his career, making two big pass plays in OT.

Rushing offense: C+

Matt Forte (18-83) had 125 yards from scrimmage with a TD catch, but he did gain just 15 yards on the ground after the third quarter.

Passing defense: B-

David Bass' finger-tip interception and subsequent touchdown return kept the Bears in it early, and Julius Peppers came through with 11 tackles, four for loss, two sacks and two other QB hits.

Rushing defense: D+

Ray Rice — the one who came in with 289 rushing yards in eight games and a 2.5 yard-per-carry average — had 131 yards and a 5.2 ypc average Sunday. The fourth-quarter, goal-line stand and the stingy OT saved this unit.

Special teams: A-

Robbie Gould was 3-for-3 on field goals in the craziest wind gusts Soldier Field has seen for a Bears' game. Adam Podlesh also did an admirable job, averaging 38.7 yards on six wind-altered punts.

Coaching: B

The game plan had to change with the weather, and it did. While nobody on the Bears, including the coaches, were perfect, they made the best of it and won. Marc Trestman's adjustments throughout the game made a difference, and he leaned on his stars, Forte, Brandon Marshall (10 targets, four catches for 42 yards) and Alshon Jeffery (nine targets, six catches for 69 yards).

Page 3 of 3 - Overall: B-

As at least three Bears players said, a win is a win. A season-high 12 penalties and a 1-for-6 stretch on third downs helped make it an ugly win, but a key win nonetheless.